Guide to improve role of nurseries reviewed

Muscat, Aug 26 – The Ministry of Social Development is working on a ‘Guide to National Standards for the Nurseries and their Classification Mechanism’, which aims at improving the role of nurseries in order to create a child-friendly educational/ pedagogical environment. The objective is to provide an educational environment backed by professionals capable of providing services and programmes that suit children’s needs as well as providing them with basic health care. The ministry wants to shape and build their personality and identify their interests. In this connection, the ministry held a workshop on Sunday for 90 participants from different institutions concerned with children. The two-day workshop was aimed at reviewing the guide and enriching it with proposals from various fields.
The guide draft covers many aspects related to nurseries such as administrative procedures, facilities and equipment, educational programmes and staff, safety and health standards, nutrition services, community partnership, and children with disabilities. The workshop participants represented ministries of Social Development, Health, Education, Manpower, Regional Municipalities and Water Resources. It also saw representatives from Royal Oman Police, Sultan Qaboos University, Public Authority for Civil Defence and Ambulance, Public Authority of Consumer Protection, members of Child Rights Convention, Nizwa University, Oman Chamber of Commerce and Industry, as well as private schools, Omani Women’s Associations, Children First Association and the Early Intervention Center.